Sir Keir Starmer braced for SHOWDOWN with trade union bosses who are fuming at Labour leadership's plans

Sir Keir Starmer braced for SHOWDOWN with trade union bosses who are fuming at Labour leadership's plans

WATCH: Starmer's 4 years as Labour leader 'dragging the party towards the centre'

GB NEWS
Millie Cooke

By Millie Cooke


Published: 14/05/2024

- 11:47

Updated: 15/05/2024

- 12:14

The Labour leader will meet with union bosses today at the party's headquarters

Sir Keir Starmer is set for a showdown with union bosses today, just days after he faced criticism for his new deal for working people.

Last week, Unite accused the Labour Party of a "betrayal", saying the latest draft of the plans is "unrecognisable" from the original proposals.


This came after a draft document suggested Labour was planning to water down some of the proposals, including calls for further business consultation on any new laws and rowing back on a pledge to introduce legislation within 100 days of a new Labour government.

The draft is also said to have watered-down plans to completely ban zero-hours contracts.

Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer is set for a showdown with union bosses today, just days after he faced criticism for his new deal for working people

PA

Earlier this month, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham warned that “a red line will be crossed” if the party U-turns on previous employment pledges while TUC president Matt Wrack said any weakening of policy would draw a “hostile reaction”.

The Labour leader will meet with union bosses today at the party's headquarters.

Yesterday, Starmer said there would be “no watering down” of the Labour party’s new deal for working people.

Speaking after a meeting of Labour’s mayors at GTG Training in Wolverhampton, he said: "I’m absolutely committed to our new deal for working people.

"This will be the biggest levelling up of workers’ rights in a generation, so there will be no watering down."


Under the deal, the party plans to empower adult social care professionals and trade unions that represent them to negotiate a sector-wide agreement for pay, terms and conditions.

The Labour leader said: "I think people should always be treated with dignity and respect at work but I also think it’s essential for economic growth, because every good employer knows that to get better economic growth we need to treat our workforce properly."

He also said the plan poses "no threat" to employers, adding that "good employers are doing much of this already".

Starmer added: "So no watering down, 100 per cent committed to it – and it is about respect and dignity but it’s also a story about economic growth and taking our country forward."

You may like